Cane Corso Registration

Why is AKC Registration so Important?

Submitted by Byron Osing

In October 2007, the Cane Corso breed entered into a new era in North America, with the Cane Corso Association of America (CCAA) announcing two key milestones impacting the breed: (1) that the Board of Directors of the American Kennel Club (AKC) had voted positively to recognize the Cane Corso breed in the AKC Miscellaneous Class, and as such, the breed would be allowed to compete in AKC conformation events in that Class as of July 1, 2008; and (2) that the CCAA had been named the AKC Parent Club for the Cane Corso breed in America, and in conjunction with the same, the CCAA Breed Standard for the Cane Corso had been recognized as the AKC Breed Standard for the Cane Corso.

As of the close of January, 2009, there were 858 Cane Corso registered with the AKC Foundation Stock Service (FSS), this registry constituting what is considered to be the “stud book” for the breed in the USA. This still represents a small percentage of the historical breed on the North American continent. To date, since 1993, there have been nearly ten thousand (10,000) Corsi registered in the privately owned ICCF registry. However, at the current number registered, the breed is nearing a very important milestone.

As this milestone is now rapidly approaching, the Cane Corso breed in America is now entering into a critical stage in the effective building of what will be the final stud book for the breed in America for the future. To that end, it is critical that the stud book be built up to be as large as possible while it is still considered to be open, as the initial stud book for the Cane Corso breed in America will be considered to be closed soon.

As this deadline nears, it is of vital importance that all owners of applicable, purebred Corsi register their dogs in the AKC. In the future, with a closed stud book, the parents of a new dog an owner would wish to register with the main AKC Registry must be registered in the initial AKC breed stud book, or in another registry for the breed that the AKC will accept, such as that in another approved country, or one in which the AKC has a reciprocal agreement with. All future animals registered as members of a particular breed within the closed AKC stud book will then be theoretically descended from the initial foundation stock registered in that stud book.

The CCAA is at this time urging everyone in the Cane Corso breed to submit registrations to the AKC as aggressively as possible. It is important that registrations be submitted not only for “current” Cane Corso, but for the “historical” Cane Corso on this continent as well, even those that may no longer be with us. While the stud book is currently considered to be an open stud book, as emphasized, the stud book will close soon. After that point in time, there will be no further opportunity to build up the foundation of the breed that is recognized by the AKC.

Ensuring that your current and historical Corsi are included in the stud book will ensure that they and their descendants will be able to compete in all AKC events as three generation AKC registered Corsi. This is an important shared contribution toward the future of the breed that all can participate in, in terms of a small personal effort to help ensure that the breed will be established with the finest and broadest initial foundation stock in North America. It will serve the breed and all associated with the same very well, and long into the future.